she's got a boyfriend anyway
by rip austin moon
Summary: "You literally have a fucking boyfriend, anyways, which is God damn heartbreaking, but I just can't help it." /or/ In which Ross is convinced that Laura's dating a boy named Andrew Gorin. Raura.


**an: **woooo look who's back! this has been a work in progress for almost 3 weeks now, but with everything going on around laura's birthday recently, i've been trying to punch this out as quick as i can! uh this takes place around september-november just to clarify, and it has the tiniest bit of poorly written angst. or hurt/comfort. idk. also, all events regarding andrew actually happened (maui proof is on his instagram, disney proof was a pic taken by fans, and concert proof was him being seen next to laura in pics/vids). and before you say anything, yes, i'm 99% sure andrew and laura are dating. but w/e i seriously hope you enjoy this, although i'm not 100% happy with it, this is probably the piece that i've worked hardest on. please review if you like it, enjoy!

* * *

The first time Ross' suspicions begin is when he's on tour, crammed up into a tiny bus bunk, scrolling through his Twitter mentions.

As he swipes his screen he sees the usual abundance of tweets made just to capture his attention; they range from the typical "you're so fucking hot omg," to the just as typical, albeit a bit rude "cut your hair you look like a rat lmao". (He knows that he should cut it, but he kind of likes the way that she tugs on it, as his head sits on her lap).

Then of course, there are the standard "raura is real" tweets. He usually just skips over them, since they're nothing new anyways. He also doesn't need to be constantly reminded on the fact that "Raura" isn't actually real at all. _Friends_, they like to call themselves. Just simply hearing the word makes him want to barf.

So there he is, scrolling and swiping until his eyes physically feel like they're going to melt. He replies to a few tweets, but in order for his apparent "super grungy, all I care about is music" aesthetic to stick, he doesn't clutter his account with many replies to fans, although they may have been appreciated to an extent.

The scroll, swipe, scroll, swipe process continues and repeats until one tweet in particular catches his eye. He sees the words "Laura" and "boyfriend" in the same sentence and he quickly skims over it, checking to see if his name was included in it, too.

It's not.

"raura isn't real," the tweet reads. "laura already has a boyfriend lol". He does a double take before scoffing to himself; why did their fans have to make up such obviously fake rumors? Apparently that's exactly what someone else is thinking too, as he sees that they've already replied to the tweet with just a simple word: "proof?"

He taps on the thread with his finger only to see that the original poster has responded with merely just a link. He opens it up and sees that there's a picture attached and it's enough to get him momentarily distracted.

She's wearing a small, black, polka dot crop top ensemble, with the absolute _tightest_ skirt on the planet and Mickey Mouse ears to top it all off, and he feels the area around his crotch tighten up, just a little bit. He really wants to rip that outfit off of her right now, but the fact that he's halfway across the world might prove to be a bit of a minor setback.

There's also the fact that when his gaze shifts just merely to the right, he sees another guy, who isn't him. His breathing becomes a bit heavier and he frantically scrambles to read the caption.

"Gorin is [dole] whipped."

Shockingly enough, he's hit with such a severe pang of jealousy and confusion that he drops his phone on the ground and hits his head on the ceiling of his bunk. Gorin? Whipped? Dole? What the _fuck _kind of word is that?

_What the fuck kind of tweet was this?_

He rubs his forehead a little and prays to God that it doesn't swell. The blow might have been painful, but the ache in his stomach overpowers his slight forehead agony by miles.

"Bro, you okay up there?" He hears Rocky say.

"Y-yeah, yeah, uh, I'm fine," he reassures in a shaky voice. Since he was an actor, his lie should have been pretty convincing, though his incredibly nervous and awkward laugh that he added in the end legitimately made him sound like he was ready to cry. Maybe he was, who knows.

Rocky seemed to have noticed how uncomfortable Ross was being as only a few seconds later he asks, "You sure about that?"

Ross appreciates the fact that Rocky cares, though he'd really love it if he just shut the fuck up and let him live in his slight moment of misery while he solved this "Gorin" mystery all by himself. "Yeah dude," he says, "I'm fine. Go back to bed."

He hears Rocky give him a slight grunt, and about a minute later obnoxious snores ring throughout the entire bus. _Finally_, Ross thinks.

As quietly as possible Ross jumps out from his top bunk and picks his phone up off the ground. Gently climbing back onto his bed, he begins to analyze the picture again.

Now, this didn't necessarily mean that Laura had a boyfriend, right? Both her and Ross' friends called Ross her boyfriend all the time, and that didn't mean they were dating. (He wishes they were, though).

As he drifted off into a restless and fitful sleep, the thought of Laura's "mystery boyfriend" captivated his entire brain for the majority of the night.

It was only one picture. He still has hope that they were just friends.

Just like her and himself, sadly.

* * *

(The next day he sees more pictures of Laura and her apparent mystery boyfriend, but this time they're holding hands and snuggled together in restaurant chairs, even though there was plenty of space for them to stretch out and be comfortable. He learns that his name is Andrew Gorin, and his heart positively splits in two).

* * *

Andrew Gorin was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, Ross decides. It's been weeks since he'd first laid eyes on that "dole whipped" picture, and ever since that fateful moment the rumors of Laura having a boyfriend have never been any stronger. Or any more annoying, he thinks, though it's probably the jealousy that's making him react so badly.

He's also kind of ticked off at Laura right now. Not exactly ticked off at her (because he'd never get angry at her for something so petty), but ticked off at the fact that she's never mentioned Andrew, like ever. Which honestly might be kind of a good thing, because if she talked about him, she'd just be making Ross all the more worried, because then she'd be acknowledging the fact that she and her "boyfriend" are actually friends, and we all know what friends can lead to in the future. It was a complicated process.

After a particularly insane show, Ross sits down with his other fellow band members at the table provided for them in the back of the tour bus. He whips out his phone and taps the Twitter app (which he's come to dread, actually. It's always been the one to break the bad news to him). As he scrolls he sees that Laura has posted a new tweet, and he reads it, all thoughts of Andrew Gorin far from his mind.

The tweet is typed in her usual eccentric and bubbly behavior: "lauramarano AHHHHH! Going to Maui tomorrow! So excited!" Following the tweet was a series of emojis, ranging from the crazy, winky face, sticking it's tongue out emoji, to the simple, yet cute, eyes closed, blushy emoji. _She was too adorable_, he thinks.

As Laura's never mentioned her future vacation to him, Ross decides to send her a text; a proper catching up was in due time anyways.

To: Laura Marano  
September 26, 10:57 PM

Maui?

Simple, yet straight to the point. She usually did most of the talking anyways. A vibration echoes throughout the room, preventing him from over analyzing his text before she even replied.

From: Laura Marano  
September 26, 10:59 PM

Yeah! I'm so excited! I've needed to go on a vacation for like forever.

He smiles at this. His pearly whites shine in his band mates' eyes and they all share a nod, with a wiggle of their eyebrows. "So Ross," a suspicious silence falls between them. "Who you textin there?" Ellington asks.

Ross pauses, then lets out a snort and makes a move to reply to Laura's text. "It's just Laura, you guys," he reassures them. "Just Laura".

He hears a faint murmur of "Isn't it always?" and a series of stifled laughs following after. Typical.

To: Laura Marano  
September 26, 11:00 PM

Heck yeah you do. You work too hard. Oh yeah, Rocky, Riker, Ell, and Rydel are currently snooping in our convo.

"Smooth, Ross," Rydel giggles. "I'm sure that compliment will totally make her want to get in your pants."

Ross rolls his eyes. Contrary to popular belief, he doesn't just want to have sex with her. In fact, he'd very much like it if they actually dated, not like he'd ever tell anybody that, though.

From: Laura Marano  
September 26, 11:04 PM

Aww thanks Ross, that was actually really sweet for once. Ooooh tell them I say hi, I miss them.

"She said she misses you guys," Ross explains to his band mates. "We should hang out with the Austin and Ally cast soon, it's been a while."

Rocky, Riker, Rydel, and Ellington nod, one of them breathing out a "Yeah, we should". The setting is calming, as Rydel's head rests on Ellington's shoulder and they're engulfed in a silence that is just oh so deafening, but comfortable all the same.

To: Laura Marano  
September 26, 11:05 PM

Told them. They said they wanna hang out soon. They miss you.

I miss you, he wants to say. Butterflies arise in his stomach and he feels a tad bit light headed. He's just now realizing the intensity in which he misses her. He misses her so damn much.

From: Laura Marano  
September 26, 11:08 PM

I miss you loads. I have an early flight tomorrow, so I gotta go to sleep. Promise that you'll call tomorrow? Goodnight!

At the end of the text she's inserted a single kissy face emoji. It's funny, how such a simple, little emoticon can bring him so much joy, that he completely forgets and eradicates any traces of Andrew Gorin from his mind. Laura missed us, he thinks. Laura misses me.

His previously shattered heart has been glued back together with strings of "I miss you's" and starry eyed iPhone emojis, and as he curls into his bed, his phone tightly wrapped around his fingertips, he grins to himself, a genuine, infatuated smile plastered onto his face.

To: Laura Marano  
September 26: 11:10

Promise. Night, babe.

Sleep soon overcomes his body as he slips into unconsciousness, though throughout the tossing and turning of the night, his smile never wavers.

* * *

When he awakens, he lives the rest of his day as he's always had. No distractions, no jealousy, no Laura. Okay, maybe there's been a tiny bit of Laura, though R5 takes the cake for today.

As the hours pass, he starts to think that this day couldn't have run any smoother. Time seems to fly, as it was already time for a break, though it felt like only minutes to Ross.

"I'm gonna go pee," he exclaims out loud, in an Austin-like fashion.

The band lets out a series of groans. "Dude, just go. You didn't have to tell us."

Ross crosses his arms and lets out a pout. "Just wanted to let you guys know!" He yells out, as he merrily skips out through the door, headed to the bathroom. Today has been a good day. Awesome, even.

As he finishes taking a piss and washing his hands, he starts to think that he might have spoken too soon. Taking advantage of the peacefulness that the lonely bathroom offered, he checks his Twitter, now that his band mates weren't peeking over his shoulders. Scrolling through his mentions, he sees that someone's linked them to an Instagram post, the url ending with the username "agorinn".

Shit.

As he clicks on the link with shaking hands and a pounding heart, he finds that one set of lyrics to be very much relevant right now.

Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?

When he finally finished analyzing the picture and reading the caption, he concluded that just as he expected, the news was the worst. Who knew that such a lighthearted, fun-filled sentence such as "U on dat Maui Wowi?" could give him such intense feelings of jealousy and anger and just overall defeat? He didn't, that's for sure.

As he stares at the picture for at least a minute, his throat constricts and the lump he finds there feels like it's large enough to choke him. His fingers are trembling and his mind is racing, but the only thoughts going through his head are variations of why is he with her why did she bring him _why why why why?_

Why? That's what he'd like to know. His desire for answers is so strong that he literally does not care anymore; he's been left in the dark for ages, and it seems like now he's finally reached his breaking point.

He's done. He's being impulsive. He calls her.

Ross fucking calls her.

He puts the phone on speaker mode and sets it down onto the bathroom counter, running his finger through his tangled hair. He suspects that there'll be skid marks on the floor once this conversation is over; his pacing has been nonstop.

Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Ring, ri— "Hey! You kept your promise!" Laura's voice echoes against the walls, and the sound that he used to love to hear so much is suddenly engulfing him, gripping onto his throat, stealing all of his words away.

"I, uh," he starts to say, fumbling his words. "U-Uh, I— yeah, I did." _Idiot_, he thinks. You're an idiot.

"Ross," Laura starts, her voice filled with concern. "You okay?"

She's so god damn sweet, he thinks. Hearing the worry dripping from her tone sorts him out; he can speak again.

"Look Laura," he begins. "I—".

On the other line he hears shuffling and a murmuring in the background. "Who's that?" The voice says.

"Oh, it's just Ross, Andrew," Laura replies. Andrew. Nonononononono. "Sorry about that," Laura says, "what was I saying?"

Ross stays quiet for a second, before speaking up. "Andrew. You're dating Andrew, aren't you?" He deadpans, losing his disguise, and now speaking with just pure, raw emotion. Hurt, anger, jealousy. "Your dating Andrew."

_Silence._ The seconds feel like hours, which turn into days and months, and every single moment the strings Laura sown onto Ross' heart are untangling and unraveling until it's completely back to its previous state: shattered. Laura breaks the silence, "What?"

"I said," Ross repeats, "you're dating Andrew! That's why you brought him to Maui, and that's why you went to Disneyland together, and that's why you were holding hands and the restaurant and the chairs and the tweets and I just— you're dating Andrew. You're dating Andrew."

After his little speech, Ross' anger dissipates and is replaced by cold, hard sadness that he doesn't even bother hiding anymore. You could hear every single crack and shake in his voice. Apparently Laura could, too.

"R-Ross," Laura whispered, hiccuping until you could physically hear her tears through the phone. Ross hates himself for hurting her. He's an idiot. Maybe Andrew really would be better for her. Amongst all of her bawls due to guilt, she attempts to speak again. "Ross I—"

"No!" He interrupts. "No. It's okay Laura!" He tries to say optimistically, though it comes out as more of a cry, probably making her feel even more sorry. "It's cool, man. You don't need to explain anything to me! It's fine, It's awesome. I'm happy for you.

"Ross," Laura states, much more assertively.

"No dude, it's great, just uh— bye. Um, I'll see you when filming starts, and just yeah, congratulations. Bye."

"R—," he hangs up on her. Pushing open a stall door, he sits himself down on the seat and pushes his hands through his hair, as his body racked with sobs. His leg is shaking madly and there are snot and tears dripping down his face, but right now he could honestly not give a single flying shit any more. All he can think about is the fact that Laura has a boyfriend.

And it's not him.

* * *

It's been almost a month, and yet Ross and Laura still haven't shared a single word with each other, besides obviously forced, one-sided Twitter conversations, which he mostly ignored, if he was going to be honest.

After their little fight (which was in fact pretty huge, now that he thinks about it) she's called him a total of 12 times, sends him 23 text messages, and leaves him 5 voicemails. Despite the fact that looking at her name displayed across his phone screen gives him immense feelings of heartbreak and sorrow, he deletes every single one of her attempts to communicate with him, not even bothering to read, nor listen to what she had to say.

He'd admit that he was being stubborn, but to him being stubborn was better than being sad, so he persists on ignoring her until they've finally reached the day that he was both dreading, and looking forward to the most: October 13th, the day Austin and Ally season four starts filming.

Or, in his words, the day he either experiences a very heartfelt, apology ridden reunion in which he scoops Laura up into his arms and makes her forget every single mistake he's ever committed in the past month, or the day he suffers from a very, very awkward "hello", in which they proceed to ignore each other for the rest of the day, only exchanging glances when they're Austin and Ally, instead of Ross and Laura.

He prays it's the former.

As he arrives to the studio in his newly bought car, the jitters start to kick in and all of his pent up anxiety seems to be seeping out through each and every single inch of his cracks and crevices. Pushing the entrance door open, he spots Raini and Calum, and although the sick feeling in his stomach isn't completely gone, he's happy and that's all that matters.

"Ross!" Raini screams, and suddenly the entire studio is staring at him with wide, gleeful eyes, and he can't help but let out a laugh because he's missed this so much.

The grin on his face only grows as he feels a solid collision on both sides of his body that has him stumbling back into the wall. "We missed you so much," Calum says, his firm grip around his waist never relenting.

"Back at you," Ross replies, cheerfully. He doesn't mean for his thoughts to only revolve around her, he really doesn't, but he feels the words slipping from his tongue already. "Uh, is Laura here yet, guys?" He asks apprehensively.

Raini rubs her cheek against his side and gives him one last squeeze before replying. "'Course you'd ask that." Calum giggles and they share a look before Raini continues. "But anyways, nope. She texted me saying she's caught in traffic."

Ross can't help but feel dejected, despite his nervousness. It's been ages since he'd last seen her, and although they've been walking on thin ice as of late, he'd really appreciate it if he had the opportunity to make it up to her. Maybe she'd forgive him.

He hopes she'll forgive him.

A light, angelic "Hi," interrupts his thoughts and his head whips around faster than the speed of light. Quiet, little footsteps are heard in the hallway, and Ross' breath hitches, starting at the door, waiting to finally see her, after weeks of waiting.

Step, step, step, step. The sound of what he hopes is Laura is slowly sauntering over to the room's entrance, and with each stride his heart seems to pound faster in his chest. Step, step, step, step.

He blinks for a second, and suddenly both Raini and Calum detach from his side, screaming "Laura!" as they frantically scramble to reach the doorway.

Giggles resonate throughout the entire room and it's all light hearted and fun for everyone else besides him. He _needs_ to see her. He swears to God, if Raini and Calum don't move soon, he'll physically tear them away from her for them.

"I missed you guys so much!" Laura speaks, and it's like his whole body is filled with liquid joy, as a smile grows onto his face and every negative thoughts in his head suddenly disappears. Everything about her, from her singing, to her kindness, makes him so damn happy.

What he's about to say may have been a bit risky, and could potentially cause him a lifetime of heartbreak, but for her he's willing to take the chance without a second thought. With the goofy grin still plastered onto his face and his hands shoved into the deepest depths of his pockets, he asks in a lively voice, "Even me?"

Seconds pass. The silence is deafening.

Reluctantly, Calum and Raini loosen their grip on her, and for the time being, it seems like the only two people occupying the room are Ross and Laura. Just Ross and Laura. There is no Kevin and Heath, there is no Raini and Calum, there is no Austin and Ally, as she makes eye contact with him and the world just instantly stops. With the absolute most impassive expression decorating her face, his nervousness kicks in and it's like he can't see, because that blank look that she's currently giving him is absolutely unreadable, and he starts to wonder if he should be insanely happy, or fucking terrified for the fate of their relationship. Or friendship. Whatever you'd like to call it.

She stares at him for what seems like hours, until she finally cracks. With the same stony expression she's been giving him for the past minute, she utters, "Yeah. Even you."

Even you.

Even _me._

Ross' eyes crinkle and his smile just grows wider and wider until it literally feels like his face is going to buckle under the pressure of his beam. He can't fucking believe it. She forgave him.

Across the room, Laura cold exterior breaks and to him, her smile is so bright and beautiful that it probably could melt God damn Antarctica, if she wanted. She extends her hand and makes a sort of beckoning movement, and Ross awakens from his trance as she lets out a heartfelt rumble of, "C'mere".

The distance between them is far too large for his liking, so he steps forward and forward, waiting until they're practically forehead to chest before he engulfs her in the literal tightest hug in all of existence. Wrapping her hands around his waist and resting her head on his torso, Laura seems to be responding to the embrace just as eagerly.

He's never felt safer than when he's wrapped in her arms.

Ducking down and setting a quick peck on her forehead, he apologizes solemnly. "Sorry for being an ass lately". She looks up at him with her big, brown, doe eyes, with a look that practically screams don't be. "It's just— tour has been stressing me out lately, and I've been just like really busy and it's getting to me. I'm sorry". Stoplyingstoplyingstoplying.

Maybe being an actor really paid off sometimes. Despite the fact that having all of your privacy being literally snatched from your hands could be a little tough, he's learned how to lie successfully in the process, and really, the only thing that matters to him right now is keeping Laura from finding out that he was jealous.

She seems unfazed, as she stares up at him admirably, as if she's staring at a god, face to face. "It's cool," she lets out. "We're cool."

The corners of his lips curl back into a smile as he replies, "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she whispers back happily. "We're perfect."

* * *

A few weeks after Austin and Ally season four started filming, Ross invites the cast to a very private and exclusive R5 concert in which only very close friends and family could attend, with just a few select fans. (But let's face it, besides the usual Savannah, Alexa, and Brandon trio, they don't have a huge amount of friends, so it's mostly the other two).

"So yeah, since we clearly don't know that many people," Ross says, "you can bring some of your friends, if you'd like."

Immediately Raini, Calum, and Laura nod their heads appreciatively in thanks for the free invite. "Thanks dude!" Calum adds with a clap on Ross' back that has him at loss for breath. "That would be awesome".

Ross smiles and turns to the girls. "What about you guys?"

Both Raini and Laura grin at him with sparkly white smiles, as Raini utters a "Yeah! Definitely."

"Thanks Ross," Laura remarks graciously, in her usual kind and caring tone. "We'll definitely be there."

Ross' heart fills with happiness just looking at her. "Looking forward to it, then," he replies. They stare at each other as if they were the sun and the moon, and it takes an intentional coughing fit from Calum to break them out of their trance.

Ah, young love.

* * *

It's exactly two hours until the concert starts, and with each and every minute more and more of the invitees start to arrive at the venue. Ross sits backstage, mindlessly plucking on the strings of his guitar while humming to the tune of the latest Walk The Moon single. He sounds pretty good, if he might add, though he hates to be cocky.

He's shaken from his stupor due to Rydel's high pitched, girly screech. "Ross! Get over here!"

In surprise, his chair tips back almost immediately, and before he gets the chance to catch himself, his butt crashes onto the ground, resounding in a loud, painful "thump". "Fuck," he whispers to himself. "I'm coming!"

Picking himself up off the floor, he dusts his clothes off with one hand and swipes the other through his hair, to get the perfect disheveled look while he walks. When he arrives at his destination he's greeted with a gigantic group of smiling strangers, Calum, and three of the most important girls in his life, jumping up and down with interlocked hands as if they haven't seen each other in ages.

"Hey dude! Sorry 'bout them, they're all caught up in their own world," Calum says. "Anyways, I brought some friends like you said!" He proceeds to list on and on an unceasing amount of names, while Ross shares a short lived wave with each of them, before his gaze shifts back onto Laura, and only Laura.

He knew overalls were trendy again, but he's seriously never understood that craze until now.

Her long shapely legs were on full display, and he barely restrains himself from grabbing her thighs and wrapping them around his waist.

_Ghcsiomxdaaeyookvdwtio_, he thinks. Calm yourself, you're in public.

"So," Ross says in an attempt to distract himself from his slightly inappropriate thoughts, "did you guys bring anyone?"

The girls reluctantly separate, as Raini gives him a "Yeah, you already know them already, though," while Rydel glares at him with probably one of the dirtiest looks he's ever seen painted onto his sister's face.

"Oh, cool. I'll be sure to say hi when I see them," Ross speaks absent-mindedly. Raini crinkles her nose, knowing fully well that he wouldn't. "So," he says, getting to what really mattered most to him, "what about you Laura?"

A switch seems to flip in Laura's head, as if she's suddenly remembered something important. "Oh yeah!" She exclaims, and all of the sudden she's grabbing his hand, dragging him towards the stage area, throwing a quick glance and a "C'mon!" over to Rydel, Calum, and Raini.

"They should be just right over here," she mutters as she scans the crowd, furrowing her eyebrows. "Aha!" She says, her face relaxing. "There they are."

She points to a group of about seven to eight teenagers, dressed in preppy, pastel clothing. Ross would feel inferior to them if they weren't currently at _his_ concert. Suck on that, Laura's friends.

Rydel, Calum, and Raini finally catch up to them, and without a second though Laura is pushing all four of them over to her pretentious looking group of classmates as forcefully as she can, with her skinny, twig-like arms. "Go say hi! I'll introduce you guys to them!"

The force of her surprisingly strong shove has him almost falling at the feet of a blonde, long haired boy in a white t-shirt, as Laura's friends struggle to stifle their giggles. "Uh," he mumbles, standing up straighter until he's at arms length with the boy. "Hey," Ross says, offering his hand for a shake.

The boy looks up at him with a judgmental look on his face, and gives him the most half-assed handshake that's humanly possible. "Erm," he pauses, "Hi."

Laura, oh naive, sweet Laura, doesn't seem to notice the obvious tension as she turns to face the Austin and Ally cast, plus Rydel. "So they already know who you guys are, obviously, so I'll skip that." Ross smiles at her, and she smiles back. "Anyways, this is—". Tuning her out, he takes this free moment to stare at her while she isn't looking.

His gaze falls to her rapidly moving lips, as her mouth falls open, her friend's names slipping off the tip of her tongue. "—Tyler, _Andrew_, Zoe—".

Wait.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

Did she just say what he think she just said?

No no no no no, fuck no—

He can't do this.

It seems like every single one of his insecurities that he's tried so hard to keep contained, just spews out from the deepest depths of his brain and they're just tumbling and spilling and getting everywhere and he's drowning, drowning, drowning in his own self-doubt and he's just—

The pain is too damn much, and it's choking him.

He just wants to curl up into a ball and cry his eyes out. He can't fucking do this.

"Ross?" Raini questions, taking note of the obvious look of pain plastered onto his face. Ross' head shoots up and he comes face to face with a worried Raini, though on instinct his eyes shift and he's suddenly staring at Laura now, engaged in a clearly entertaining conversation with her friends.

He prays to God that his eyes don't look bloodshot, and overall just an upset, angsty, peace of shit. (Cause right now, he definitely does feel like one).

"Ross?" Raini asks again in a concerned tone, though this time with a snap of her fingers in front of his face.

Ross breaks out of his thoughts, and looks back at Raini, directly in the eye. She's looking at him like a mom taking care of her sick child, and he absolutely hates it. Turning his head down to stare back at the ground, he chokes out a mumble of "I'm fine," and he even gives her an attempted smile, though the obvious forcefulness makes it look like more of a grimace.

Raini offers him a raise of her eyebrow, in an attempted you _sure?_ expression.

"Y-yeah." He mutters. "I'm fine." Shuffling his feet, he tries to look anywhere but at her fixated stare. "L-look, I'm just gonna like, go. Um, I gotta be on stage soon— I'll just like, go practice, or something. Er, enjoy the show," Ross tries to say optimistically, though he's certain she didn't catch the end, as he's suddenly pushing through the crowds, trying to get anywhere away Andrew, and by default Laura, so he simply ignores the screaming fans and just shoves every single person out of his way, until he's finally reached his destination.

Only when he knows for sure that the room was empty and that no one else was watching, he allows himself break down.

* * *

Despite the fact that many people seemed to think that he was some sort of depressed, grungy, pretentious, druggie, (which he can't blame them for, as he was definitely the middle two), Ross actually _is_ Austin, if that makes any sense.

And no, by "Austin" he doesn't mean that he's some sort of pancake loving, Ally infatuated, teenage heartthrob. If anything, he's leaning more towards the music obsessed prodigy, who can practically play every instrument under the sun.

Though, the "Ally infatuated" part wasn't too far off.

So as he stands there, or jams there, actually, he lets his body become overcome by the music, attempting to eradicate any Andrew Gorin thoughts from his mind, but the pain is still strong; the wound was still open.

Seeing her smiling and dancing with Raini made him happy, but if he turned his head just a fraction to the right, he'd be looking directly at the bane of his existence, whose caused him all of this heartache.

Or maybe it was Laura who did it.

Or maybe it was himself.

Yeah, it probably was himself.

As they sing their final song of the night, the beat only gets slower, while the audience just seems to be getting louder.

"I've been looking for the one tonight," he drawls out, and the crowd positively explodes in screaming, crying, and applause. "Goodnight L.A!" He yells, genuinely excited, still high off of the vibes the concert gave him. Rydel, Rocky, Ellington, and Riker all bid their goodbyes before exiting the stage, leaving Ross to be the only member left out in the open.

His gaze instantly gravitates to Laura, and he sees her there, screaming like crazy along with Raini and Calum, completely forgetting about her so called "friends". He throws her a beam, although he was still pretty destroyed right now. She grins back with crinkly eyes, and he starts to think that maybe things'll be okay.

And with that, he exits the stage.

* * *

The adrenaline is pumping through his veins, and it's acting as if it's some sort of drug, because suddenly Ross feels like he can do absolutely anything in the entire world.

Ross' passion is there, it's always there, but music just seems to be the trigger that releases all of his pent up energy in one short burst, and right now, he's starting to think that he could maybe even lift up a car.

Or he could fly alongside a plane.

Or he could swim to the deepest depths of the ocean.

Or he could become the world's most famous superstar, and everyone on every country would know his name.

Or maybe, just maybe, he could get the girl.

Yep, that's it.

To: Laura Marano  
November 5, 11:13 PM

Where are u?

He sends out the text as quickly as quickly as he can, and he fidgets as he waits for her reply. If she didn't reply soon, he's almost positive that his new found confidence would most likely dissipate before he got the chance to even speak to her, let alone make a move.

His phone vibrates in his hand, and Ross breathes out a sigh of relief.

From: Laura Marano  
November 5, 11:14 PM

I'm out back. Just had to make sure my friend got out safely without any traffic u know! why?

Ross replies instantly, his fingers tapping away as he sticks his tongue out in concentration.

To: Laura Marano  
November 5, 11:15 PM

Stay there. I'm coming.

He sends out the text and carelessly shoves his phone into his pocket before he starts running to the back of the building.

He encounters one screaming fan who somehow escaped security, but he quickly yells out an apology and speeds right past her, almost hitting a wall in the process. The floor is covered in a layer of spilt drinks and mindless junk food that he narrowly manages to avoid tripping on, as he hastily makes his way to find Laura.

Turning left one last time, that's when he finally sees her. She's standing next to a glass door at the end of the hallway, idly fiddling on her phone with a bored expression on her face. It was crazy, how gorgeous he thought she was, just doing simple, everyday task.

"Laura!" Ross calls out, as he slows down to a jog.

She lifts her head up and a smile breaks out on her face as she sees him standing about 15 feet away from her.

It was now or never, right?

"Oh, hey Ross! What's— _oomph!_" He cuts her off, as he suddenly connects their lips, pressing her into the wall. _Holy shit_, he can't believe he's actually doing this.

Laura's shock eventually wears off, and she wraps her legs around his waist and melts eagerly into this kiss, allowing Ross to hold her up by his arms.

"Fuck," he whispers into her mouth. He's fucking _kissing_ her. No, scratch that, he's _making out_ with her. Their tongues were slipping into each other's mouth, and God, he swears he's never felt a greater sensation than the one she was giving him right now.

She was an incredible kisser, he realizes. Yes, he's kissed her plenty of times before, but that was as Austin and Ally, two pure, angelic souls on a channel that would probably cancel the whole network, before it showed something even in the slightest bit sexy. This was Ross and Laura though, two teenagers currently wrapped up in an intense make out, with their hands currently roaming up every single inch of skin that they could could possibly feel.

He gives her butt a slight squeeze, and she lets out a moan. And yeah, to everyone else that probably would have been a good thing, but now it's as if he's immediately coming back to reality and realizing what he's doing and suddenly he can't breathe or move or talk or kiss or anything. He just _can't_.

Ross breaks contact with her lips and looks her directly in the eye, disbelief and shock clouding his irises. She's beaming up at him with sparking, bright eyes and a smile that could go on for days. "What was that for?" Laura asks teasingly.

He breaks her gaze, looking down, a frown etching onto his mouth. His hands are at his sides now, no longer wrapped around her waist, and seeing that look on his face makes her's visibly fall, insecurity getting the best of her. "W-what's wrong?" She asks, worried.

"I— fuck," he tries to explain. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. Who in their right mind would think it was a good idea to kiss her? She had a God damn boyfriend. Ross closes his eyes, and breathes heavily.

He's such an idiot. An idiot who's hurt the love of his life so many fucking times, and he doesn't deserve her anymore, he really doesn't. "_I can't_— shit, I'm so sorry. I gotta-I gotta go," He manages to force out, tears already leaking from the corners of his eyes. Idiot.

Ross shakes his head in disbelief, prying his legs off the floor, and runs. Like he always does, though this time, literally.

Well, at least he tries.

Laura's hand wretches around his wrist and utters a single word, through clenched teeth and eyes shut in anger. "_Don't_," she says, exasperated. "Don't you dare run. I'm fucking done Ross".

He turns to look at her, and he goes numb, shattered heart dropping to his stomach. _She hates me, she hates me, she hates me.  
_  
Laura opens her eyes, and they're positively livid in rage, with a twinkle of sadness decorating them in shiny, clear specs. Her grip around his wrist tightens, as she attempts to calm herself, inhaling long, deep bursts of air. "I'm sick of you hurting me," she says. "I'm sick of you hurting me and then just running away, like that, leaving me with no answers." The tiredness shines in her voice, and her anger depletes, overcome by sadness, which to him was even worse. "Can you at least tell me why you're doing this?" She asks solemnly, tears leaving tracks on her cheek.

It's silent, for a second or two. In which the room is only filled with sniffles and deep breaths, no arguments, no nothing. Ross stares at her, regret filling his lungs, and it's like he's suffocating.

"I just—," You know what? _Fuck it._ She already despised him; he's got nothing to lose.

In a gentler tone, Ross speaks quietly, and straightforward. "_I love you_," he admits, frantically nodding his head in all sorts of directions, an unconscious action he does when he's nervous. "Like— I really love you, and I have for ages now. And I know we can't be together because we could potentially ruin the whole professional dynamic we have on set, and you literally have a fucking _boyfriend_, Andrew, anyways, which is God damn heartbreaking, but I just can't help it. I-I'm sorry for kissing you, it was off limits, I know, but I love you like crazy, and for some reason I just— like I had to do it. Like it wasn't even a want, I had to do it," he finishes, and he bravely looks at Laura, to see her reaction.

Her face is blank; impassive. Not a single glimpse of emotion is plastered onto her pretty face, and it all reminds Ross of the day of the reunion. They fought, he took a risk, and she was expressionless. Throughout all of the absolute shit they went through, they got a happy ending.

Ross hopes that that rule applies to them today.

Laura continues to keep her stare trained on Ross, and he cowers under her gaze, closing his eyes in an attempt to disappear. "What did you say?" Laura asks assertively, her lips curving into a frown.

Ross opens one eye, and cautiously replies. "Um, I love you?"

Laura shakes her head and purses her lips. "No, about Andrew."

He winces, God, of course she was thinking about Andrew. She was dating him, for fuck's sake. "You're boyfriend?" He answers sadly, slightly heartbroken, as he literally just poured his heart out to her and told her he loved her yet all she had could talk about was that stupid, cocky, pretentious weasel, Andrew Gorin. (And no, he actually doesn't know if he's any of those things, but it'd be easier to hate him if he was a jerk, rather than a gentleman).

Ross shuts his eyes, ready for Laura to lash out on him. In that moment, he swears that he's just ruined their entire career, dynamic, and friendship all in just a few short, choppy sentences.

Laura looks up at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief, and she barks out a maniacal laugh that has him seriously questioning if she was insane. "Oh my god," She manages to gasp out, in between loud bursts of cackles. "You— _giggle_ —think I'm— _giggle_ —dating— _guffaw_ —Andrew?!" She accuses, head thrown back as she tries to calm herself down from her fit of hysterics.

Ross furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Um, yes?" He answers, puzzled. "Aren't you?"

Literally, _what was going on?  
_  
Laura straightens out her disoriented clothes, attempting to tone down the series of laughs struggling to find their way out, that eventually leave her system as obnoxious snorts. "Fuck," she says, and Ross' eyes grow wider than they already are because this is a serious situation, so why the hell would she be laughing?

"No," Laura stares boldly, "I'm not".

She grins up at him and it takes a minute for what she said to register to Ross, and he seriously can't believe his ears.

No.

I'm.

Not.

She's not dating him.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck_fuck_FUCK.

The most beautiful grin spreads across his face from cheek to cheek, and he swoops her back up into his arms, pressing a chaste kiss on every single surface of her skin. Happy tears threaten to spew from the corners of his eyes, as they glisten with a sort of sheen that practically screams infatuation.

"Ross!" Laura shrieks, and the giggling fit starts all over again, while she accidentally bangs the back of her head on the wall, tilting her face up to allow Ross access to her neck. She threatens to slip from his grasp and it's all very unorganized and inexperienced, yet innocent and pure at the same time. The simple fact that she doesn't have a boyfriend is enough for him, and he views this moment to be absolutely perfect. Ross wouldn't trade it for the world.

He smiles into her skin as they pause, breathing heavily, still pressed against the wall. "I can't believe I though you had a boyfriend," Ross whispers, regretfully, though the mood in the air is still light hearted and fun.

Laura scrunches her nose, presses a small peck on his lips, and replies half heartedly. "Yeah well, I can't believe you told me you loved me."

Ross, seeming to have forgotten that he's spilled the biggest secret on the entire planet, that he's harbored for ages now, in a mumbled, unplanned, amateur speech, groans as he presses his forehead against her's. "I was kind of hoping that when I'd finally told you, it'd go a lot smoother than that," he confesses, adding an awkward laugh at the end.

Glancing down and biting her lip to fight off a smile, she grabs his hands shyly and moves her thumb in circular motions across his palm. Both still touching foreheads, Laura speaks again. "It's okay," she says sweetly. "I kind of love you too actually, so I guess it sort of works."

Ross' head shoots up instantly, shock written all over his face.

"And by you," she reassures immediately, "I mean only you."

It's crazy how months of heartbreak, insecurity, and jealousy all seem to just disappear, with a snap of Laura's fingers and a few love laced words that has his heart soaring through his chest. It's once again sown back together by tender touches to the cheek and kisses on the lips that have him gasping for his own breath in astonishment, because really, how is this happening? For the first time, Ross believes that this is the last time his heart needs to be fixed by Laura, because he's almost positive that by now it'll never break again (since he's already got her right where he wants her).

With a grin that reaches his loving eyes, he asks her in a cheeky, yet sentimental tone, "Only me?"

Laura smirks, then brings him down by the collar of his shirt till the gap between their lips reaches less than a centimeter. "Only you," she whispers teasingly, before closing the distance and pressing her mouth against his in a kiss, still alone in the empty, spacious hallway.

Andrew Gorin, who?

* * *

WOOOO! love u guysss. pls review!


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